Mousefur's tale of a happy couple
by Holly of the Night
Summary: What to do when you stare at him for so long, and he stares back blindly.
1. Chapter 1

**My other story "Temptations of an uninterested tom" would have to be put on hold for now until I figure out how to open the document. Until then, I figured supplying this story I had at the top of my head. It illustrates Mousefur and her reasons for retiring as an elder. Enjoy**

Mousefur sighed as she settled herself quietly in the Elder's Den. Her leg still ached a bit every now and then, and it was bound to heal very quickly, that she knew. She could still have been a Warrior if she wanted to. But not anymore She made a choice and thought carefully about it. Now that she made it, she could not go back on her decision. It was now or never.

It had only been a few hours since she was made an elder and already she felt as if her whole life had changed. Not anymore would she be able to go on hunt for her clan or patrol the borders, fighting with tooth and claw against any trespassers and defending her clan with her very life, heart and blood.

She felt a big bad to retire early on such a desperate state Thunderclan was currently undergoing, trying to ensure their place within their new territory. But she had faith in her clan that they would pull through.

"Like Thunderclan ever had it easy," she grumbled, remembering the problems they had in the forest that almost tore their clan apart many times.

Mousefur shifted her eyes beside her sleeping clan mate. It would have been impossible to tell that he was blinded by how peacefully he slept, as if the incident with the rabbit was merely a dream.

A dream turned nightmare...

Longtail shifted in his sleep and Mousefur froze. The tabby tom yawned and stretched. His ears pricked and he sniffed the air a couple of times.

"Hello Mousefur."

Mousefur purred She didn't have to ask Longtail how he knew she was there; his smelling had increased by a long shot ever since he lost his sight. "Morning Longtail."

"That time already?" he mewed in surprise. He began grooming himself, a thoughtful expression on his face.

"Well, you have been asleep for some time you lazy fur-ball," Mousefur poined out.

Longtail's ears flicked. "As an elder there's not much else to do except eat and sleep," he mumbled irritably.

Guilt seared Mousefur's heart. Yet despite what she felt the she-cat replied, "And here I thought you'd be happy being fed and given the luxury you'd like at such a young age."

Longtail snorted. "That sounds too much like the life of a Kittypet to me," he retorted. "Take my word for it: you'll begin to feel as if you are going insane from boredom in after a while of doing nothing, Mousefur."

_I don't think so,_ the dusky brown she-cat thought as she gazed at Longtail full in the face, guiltily glad that he couldn't see her watching him.

"You seem silent now," the brown tabby remarked. "Too old to come up with a come-back?"

"No, just thinking how peaceful the silence was until you opened your jaw," Mousefur spat.

"Oh I'm so sorry that--"

"Hello?"

Both elders turned at the same moment to stare (or in Longtail's case hear) at the apprentice that just arrived. Whitepaw looked unsure as she gazed into the Elders Den, a piece of prey in her jaws.

"Yes?" Mousefur mewed curtly.

"I just came to bring you something to eat," Whitepaw mewed quietly, setting the prey down between Mousefur and Longtail.

The brown tabby flicked his ears. "Thanks Whitepaw," he mewed politely

The white apprentice dipped her head. "Anytime."

"Would you like to join us?" Longtail asked.

Mousefur felt her heart drop. So much for sharing prey alone together. "Yes, why don't you?" she continued as the apprentice looked unsure.

"Erm, thanks," the apprentice dipped her head before leaving the Elders Den. She returned quickly with a small piece of mouse in her jaws.

The elders and apprentice ate contently together, Whitepaw gossiping to the Elders about her training with Brackenfur and how she hoped to one day to become a warrior like Spiderleg and Squirrelflight. And she spoke her thoughts about how the other clans were doing and hoped they were coping well within their own territories to leave Thunderclan alone.

As Mousefur listened to Whitepaw, she found it odd that the young apprentice was not made a Warrior sooner like all the others. The young apprentice worked just as hard and had to deal with just as many problems as any other apprentice, especially when she had to cope with the idea that her parents had left her.

_And I wasn't exactly helpful that time_, Mousefur reflected sadly, remembering how she had insisted Cloudtail had gone back to being a Kittypet. And how Whitepaw had to defend her own father against Mousefur's accusations.

Of course, Firestar was too busy praising his own daughter and Brambleclaw from returning to the journey to have noticed Whitepaw here, Mousefur thought darkly. In fact, Whitepaw should have been made a Warrior a long time ago, before the whole mess with the old forest even began. But did Firestar or Graystripe notice? Of course not! She's practically the oldest apprentice Mousefur's seen, next to Swiftpaw.

"Mousefur? Hey, you awake?"

The dusky brown she-cat felt someone tap her shoulder and she jumped.

"What?" she snapped.

Longtail retreated his tail. "Whitepaw wanted to know if you needed her to check your fur for ticks," he mewed formally.

"I guess I do," the she-cat agreed. To Whitepaw she mewed, "Well, get to it. I haven't got all day you know."

_Haven't got all day? I've got time for the rest of my life until I pass on to Starclan._

**Part one done. Last part coming soon. Review and Enjoy if you like Mousefur and Longtail as being a might couple. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Last chapter in Mousefur's tale. With this crack chapter officially over, I'm done with it. The rest is up to you to figure how you'd think they'd live their lives after reading this chapter.**

The sun shone high in the new Thunderclan camp. It was Green-leaf, a fantastic time for cats to be playing, hunting, and enjoying the sun like no tomorrow. At the moment Thunderclan was working hard to keep themselves in working order, helping each other and keeping their own terrain in working order.

Mousefur watched quietly from her position within the Elders Den as Thunderclan went about their activity. It still felt strange to her to see her own clan mates working hard while she watched from the side-lines. A pang of envy struck the old she-cat as she watched a patrol led by Brambleclaw leave the clan to look on the traces of a badger that was spotted.

She sighed and retreated within her den.

_Well, this is what you wanted, is it not?_

I suppose...

Mousefur gazed at Longtail's sleeping form. She reached out a tail and stroked his head lovingly. The tabby flicked his ear and Mousefur retreated her tail. But the tom continued to snooze away.

Lazy furball.

"Oy, get up!" she spat, cuffing him over the head.

"Argh, what?" The tabby yowled. He stood quickly, his ears flicking and sightless eyes gazing about in tension.

"We're going to enjoy some sun, that's what," Mousefur sniffed.

Longtail gave her a look of disbelief. The she-cat was surprised the tom could still make such a look with his blind eyes. 'You woke me up for that?" he asked incredulously.

"Better to wake you up now than you wake up later and complain all night about not having the chance to have warmed your pelt," Mousefur snapped. She padded to the entrance den and looked behind her: Longtail still stood in his same position of disbelief. "You coming or what?"

Longtail heaved a deep sigh—_ignorant prick_—and padded carefully beside Mousefur until their pelts brushed. Mousefur felt a jolt of emotions erupt within her the minute his pelt brushed hers and she twitched involuntarily.

"What is it?" Longtail asked.

Mousefur grumbled, "These bones are beginning to crack up already. Me being stuck here with you and doing nothing for it."

She placed her tail on Longtail's shoulder—great starclan did he feel so good—and helped guide the blind tom to a pile of rocks within Thunderclan territory that was just great for warming pelts.

__

Just like Sunningrocks, except with less traveling and blood-shed...

Mousefur guided Longtail to a rock beside him, then leaped upon one herself. The two elders lay on their sides, allowing their pelts to soak up the sun's rays. Occasionally they'd shift positions, neither saying a word but purring throughout the whole time. It felt good to just relax, enjoy the sun and company of Longtail, with the business of Thunderclan far behind them...

"Longtail?"

Mousefur's didn't move from her perch but pricked her ears as Cinderpelt called the blind tom's name.

"Mh?"

"I've brought some herbs for you," the medicine cat called. "This should help with your throat."

"Thanks Cinderpelt," Longtail mewed. He climbed carefully down the rocks and allowed Cinderpelt to guide him to the herbs. He munched them thoughtfully, then made a face.

"I don't think I'll ever get used to the taste."

Cinderpelt purred in amusement. Mousefur narrowed her eyes.

"Just drink some water and you'll be fine," The medicine cat mewed. She waved to Mousefur, who ignored the gesture, and limped back to her Medicine cats den.

The Elders stayed for a bit longer outside. Heavy clouds covered the sun for the majority, making their time in the rocks an abrupt end as they retreated back to their dens.

That night the Elders shared tongues together, talking and grooming one another. Though Longtail took it as a friendly and routine job, Mousefur was practically tortured in the small pleasures she felt.

Her pelt would twitch every time Longtail's tongue rasped her fur, and she jumped a bit every now and then when he touched her sensitive spots through her pelt. Her excuse, of course, was that she thought she had ticks that were being stubborn.

And he actually believed her! How stupid was this tom? Mousefur wondered.

__

But he makes up for his looks and personality....

The two cats settled to dozing off every now and then. Longtail seemed to have been used to doing nothing all day. But Mousefur felt like she was in agony out of boredom with her pent up energy. She'd probably be used to it in time. But for now she just wanted to do something.

She tapped her den mate on the shoulder.

"Longtail?"

A grunt. _How nice._

"How about we go explore Thunderclan's territory?"

Longtail shifted, but didn't move. "Why?

"Why not?"

"I don't know, I was just falling asleep," he whined.

__

What a spoiled brat!

"Fine, then. I'll go by myself!" Mousefur snapped. She didn't even stop to consider that Longtail may have not been happy with the idea of walking through the forest he could not even see. She left the Elders Den in a huff and began to pad out the entrance. But along the way she met Leafpaw, who stopped in her tracks in front of Mousefur. The Elder considered going around her regardless if the medicine cat apprentice wanted to speak with her or not. Then decided against it.

She stopped. "What?"

"I just wanted to know if everything was okay?" Leafpaw asked cautiously, aware of the Elder's temper.

It didn't make Mousefur feel any better. "Everything's fine," she snapped. "Why don't you do something useful instead of bother with an old cat like me?" And with that she roughly pushed past the apprentice and left Thunderclan camp, padding blindly through the undergrowth.

The dusky brown she-cat didn't realize how late it was, but she didn't think it mattered. She guided herself through the forest by scent, using her eyes mainly to watch where she was going. All was quiet in the dark as she padded through the forest, but the light of Silverpelt in the sky became her beacon to keep a look-out for trees and anything large and dangerous.

Mousefur burst through a tangle of bushes and arrived at her destination. The lake before her reflected Stars, skies and the moon, making the whole surface glitter and sparkle like a watery Silverpelt. Mousefur felt closer to Starclan than ever being so close the the water's reflection.

She relaxed herself and breathed deeply, savoring the forest scents and solitude of her quiet surroundings.

"Mousefur?"

The dusky she-cat jumped and wheeled around. Standing there with the moon's light softly glowing her gray features was Cinderpelt.

"What?" Mousefur mewed, her sour mood returning. "Are you going to convince me to go back to the clan? Well I'm not done here yet so you can just forget it." And with that she turned before Cinderpelt could fully talk with her.

The medicine cat sighed. "If you'd just listened to me first and payed a bit more attention, you'd know you had a guest here."

Mousefur turned. Standing behind the Medicine cat was Longtail. Mousefur's eyes roved to the gray tail that lightly splayed over the Blind tom's shoulders. A second later it drooped back down behind Cinderpelt.

Longtail stepped forward. "Always the impatient one, are you?" he mewed gently.

Mousefur snorted and turned back to staring at the lake. Longtail padded blindly, using his senses to locate Mousefur. The dusky brown she-cat kept an eye on him in case he fell over.

But the tom was able to use his nose to touch Mousefur's fur, which made her tail twitch, and sat beside her.

The dusky brown she-cat could still feel Cinderpelt's presence behind them, hesitating and unsure.

"We'll be fine," Mousefur assured her, hoping to make her leave quickly. "We may be Elders, but I've still got plenty of fight left in me."

"And being blind doesn't mean I still can't use my claws," Longtail offered.

Cinderpelt dipped her head. "Very well. Enjoy the night you two. And please don't be back too late."

Mousefur didn't even wait to see Cinderpelt disappear behind the bush; she had already turned back to looking at the lake. It just occurred to her that she and Longtail were now truly more alone together than they could have been back in the Elders Den.

For some time the Elders said or did nothing, but merely stared at the lake, or at least Mousefur did. And enjoy the forest scents and each others' company as they lay together with their pelts brushing to keep warm.

"Hey, Mousefur?"

"What?" the she-cat muttered sleepily.

"Every wonder how it feels to have a mate?"

Mousefur's eyes snapped open and her heart beat twice as hard.

"No idea," she mewed quietly.

"I always thought it'd be one of the most amazing experiences," Longtail mewed in content. "Being with someone you care and trust. Raising and caring for kits that would be the future of the clan while you cease to exist in the living. Staying by your mate through it all, even when your own clan's against you, sharing tongues and prey together—"

"That's stupid," Mousefur interrupted.

Longtail looked around. He had a confused expression. "What is?"

"Willing to go against your very clan just for a mate," Mousefur growled. "It's despicable."

Longtail's tail twitched. "I suppose. But when you look at it in a moral stance, they show a lot of guts being very loyal towards each other for what they think is right."

Mousefur snorted. "I would never have thought I'd hear this coming from you. Haven't you seen the disaster that occurred with Graystripe and Bluestar when they took in mates from other clans?"

Longtail shrugged. "I may not have experienced it, but being there when it happened and the outcome made me change. For better or worse, I don't know. But what it cost, they gave birth to amazing kits. Look at Graystripe's kits: Feathertail helped save the Tribe of Rushing Water, and Stormfur is now their sort of protector. And Bluestar's kit, Mistyfoot has shown to be a very fair and great she-cat.

Longtail shrugged. "The couples went through a hard life together, probably heart broken, but they gave birth to amazing kits that became important to the very clans that despised half-clans.

"You've definitely gone soft since you've last been around Tigerstar," Mousefur frowned.

Longtail's face took on a look of contempt. "I was a fool while I was around him," he murmured. "He could have been the most amazing leader Thunderclan had if he only cut back on his ego and ambition... and I was no better."

"You were far more than Darkstripe. At least you knew your limitations," Mousefur objected.

Longtail looked surprised. "I suppose... thanks Mousefur."

Mousefur didn't say anything. She looked at the lake's reflection with its glistening stars.

"Too bad we won't get to know that feeling," Longtail sighed wistfully. He stood and stretched, about to leave.

"You really do have bees in your brain, do you?" Mousefur mewed quietly, not moving.

Longtail looked in her direction, confused. "What did I say now?'

Mousefur sighed exasperatedly, her eyes still on the lake. "Tell me, Longtail," she mewed. "What if there was a she-cat who had her eye on you for some time. And what if this she-cat would look at you for many days on end, knowing you couldn't see her because of your blind eyes. And what if this she-cat found the perfect opportunity to finally be with you by using her leg injury as an excuse to be with the tom she had dreamed to be with for many moons on end?"

Mousefur finally tore her gaze away from the lake and looked directly at the cat she possibly sacrificed the rest of her Warrior life for. He was oddly still. "What then would you do?"

Longtail didn't say anything for some moments. Mousefur, who's age and impatience ruled out above waiting, snapped, "Well?"

Longtail shook his head. When he spoke, it was careful, as if he were weighing every word. "I'd have to first find out who this she-cat is before I know what to do."

He hesitated. Them asked, "It wouldn't happen to be Cinderpelt, would it?"

They stared at each other for a long moment, Mousefur's pale yellow eyes with Longtail's milky ones. Then the she-cat hissed angrily and bowled Longtail over, catching the tom by surprise. They rolled on the ground, screeching angrily and pouncing, with sheathed claws or not, Mousefur didn't know or care.

She eventually found a break in the blind tom's defense and quickly pinned Longtail to the ground. The blind tom was an elder for far too long; Mousefur easily over-powered him as if it were nothing.

The tom stared at her blindly, alarm etching his features. Mousefur stood over him, teeth bared. She stared down at the tom that she loved for a long time, the very tom who at this moment was so clueless that she was surprised ANY she-cat would fall for him, let alone herself. Longtail raised his head and leaned forward.

He licked her cheek.

Mousefur froze. She stared dumb-founded down at the now amused looking tom.

"Come on, Mousefur," Longtail mewed quietly. "Did you really think I was that dense?"

Too stunned out of anything else, Mousefur did the only thing she knew she could do. She cuffed him over the head.

"Ow!"

"Don't try to play games like that with me again!" Mousefur hissed.

Longtail stood warily, lest she tried to cuff him again. Mousefur's sense of satisfaction was instantly replaced by pity when she looked into his blind eyes.

If only he didn't lose his sight...

Mousefur brushed pelts with him. He didn't move from her, so she took that as a good sign.

"I'm... sorry," she mewed uncomfortably.

Longtail did nothing for a moment. Then he purred. "You know, I guess being Elders together won't be so lonely."

Mousefur's heart skipped. "Oh, you thought me being there made you feel even more isolated than before?" she mewed dryly.

Longtail purred. "Not anymore."

Mousefur purred back. The two Elders stood together, pelts brushing as they gazed at the stars, their purrs intermingled.

"Don't let this mean I'll give you the best spots on the rocks," Mousefur warned, breaking the silence.

"Did you have to ruin the perfect emotional moment like that already?" Longtail whined.

Mousefur didn't answer, but merely settled with feeling Longtail's pelt. She had to sacrifice her status as a Warrior a bit earlier. But being with Longtail for the rest of her life, she thought it was worth it. Longtail may not have been far from the truth when he told her mates would practically do anything, for good or bad, to be loyal together even above the clans.

Not that she'd admit it to him.

**That's it. I don't know if you liked it, but I thought it was not bad.**


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